Golfers swing, students benefit

The 13th annual Sodexho/Bobcat Golf Classic hosted by GC&SU at Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee on Sept. 12 raised an estimated $40,000. The money will be used for Outstanding Student Scholarships for GC&SU student-athletes.

The Outstanding Student Scholarships benefit student-athletes with a GPA over 3.2 and a SAT score over 1100.

The fundraiser would not have been a success without the help of the many people who volunteered their time.

Brad Muller, assistant athletics director for Public Relations, was responsible for coordinating the volunteer help.

“We had more than 50 volunteers,” Muller said. “We had several volunteers from around campus, staff and faculty, as well as our coaching staff and student athletes.”

Sophomore baseball player Nathan Martin took time out from his day to help out with the tournament.

“They asked for volunteers and scheduled it around our classes,” Martin said. “If you had afternoon classes, you came for the early shift, or if you had morning classes, you came for the later shift.”

Some of the volunteers stayed throughout the day, but others helped out for as long as their schedule would allow.

“We each came for a two-hour shift, and we just rotate in and out,” Martin said.

Student-athletes representing almost every Bobcat team were eager to help make the tournament a success.

“They do it every year because this is for them,” Muller said.

During the tournament, there were other fundraising events for the golfers. On all the par three holes, each golfer could pay five dollars, and if his tee shot rested on the green, his ticket got put into a pot.

At the end of the round, there was a drawing for each of the par three holes, and if the golfer’s ticket was picked out, that person won half of the money raised at that hole.

“We also do a thing called the hand wedge where people pay five dollars, and it allows them after their tee shot to pick up their ball and throw it towards the hole, and it doesn’t cost them a stroke,” Muller said.

Martin collected the money from the golfers who participated in the hand wedge event at the eighth hole.

“All the golfers that came by were real friendly and ready to donate for the college,” Martin said.

Golfers could also purchase tickets to win prizes in raffle drawings held throughout the day.

There were more than 200 golfers divided into teams of four that teed off in the Bobcat Golf Classic.

“That’s about the maximum you can have and still have a successful tournament,” Muller said.

The field of competitors was comprised of a variety of individuals, many who have a connection to GC&SU.

“We have a lot of locals as far as Georgia College community people that work here, but also a lot of people that do business with the University,” Muller said.

But the Bobcat Golf Classic was not limited to the GC&SU community and Milledgeville. Many of the businesses that sponsored the fundraiser sent teams to play in the tournament.

“We have people from Atlanta, South Carolina and all over Georgia and other parts of the Southeast that are associated with the businesses,” Muller said.

The tournament was split into morning and afternoon sessions played by the four-person teams. Each session was then divided into four separate flights.

The morning session consisted of 21 teams, and 31 teams played in the afternoon session.

“We’re completely full,” Muller said. “We couldn’t have any more teams and still have a successful tournament. The tournament would have been too slow.”

Dennis Bond, the superintendent at the Milledgeville Country Club, was playing in his third Bobcat Golf Classic.

“I think the golf classic is ran very well,” Bond said. “It goes for a good cause with the scholarships.”

Bond and his team of Buddy Martin, Rick Harding and Kevin Kotrick shot a 67 to win the fourth flight in the afternoon session.

Martin, who plays golf when he goes home during the summer, was glad to help out, but regretted not being able to participate.

“It’s a nice course,” Martin said. “I love it out here. I wish I was playing.”

For the golfers that did get to play, even the teams that lost, the tournament was a success.

“I’m real thankful we had a good day with beautiful weather,” Muller said. “I’m thankful to all of the businesses for sponsoring the tournament and sponsoring the student athletes.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 16 2005. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry